This invention relates to a medicine aimed at the recovery of normal functioning of arthritis-affected joints.
One known method of medical correction of arthritis-affected joints uses "Rumalon" which is based on mucopolysaccharides, peptides as well as amino acids, nucleotides and nucleosides, chondrocides and redcerebrum cells, introduced intramuscularly. This method is beneficial for the recovery processes of cartilaginous tissue since the medicine stimulates the synthesis of mucopolysaccharides and slows down their decomposition. A principal disadvantage of this method is that the medicine can be used only in the form of injections, and provides no lubrication effect.
Another method of treating arthritis-affected joints comprises applications of dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). DMSO is dissolved in doubly-distilled water together with special medicines and is applied on the skin in the area of affected joint. The compound penetrates the contacting area of cartilages through the undamaged skin and synovial membrane of the joint. This contributes to lessening of the pain syndrome, increasing the scope of the joint motions and lessening edema. Disadvantages of this method are insufficient effectiveness of the joint disfunction compensation and reduction of the pain syndrome, considerably long term of medical treatment, secondary effects of allergy nature and contraindicating; diseases of kidneys and livers, et cetera. This method is not applicable under conditions of deficiency of joint lubrication.
Still another method includes the use of medicine based on a 15% aqueous solution of polyvinylpyrolidone (PVP) introduced into the joints in the form of injections. This method ensures a temporary replenishment of synovia deficiency, contributes to antiphologistic effect and improvement of metabolism in the joint cavity. However, the disadvantage of this method is the impossibility of its implementation other than by intrajoint injections; topical applications have a low penetrating capability through the skin due to a high molecular mass of the medicine (PVP). This medicine is also characterized by insufficient rheological and anti-friction properties which manifest themselves in the following:
1. Constancy of rheological properties of the medicine on the PVP basis and discrepancy between its viscosity and that of natural synovia (the 15% solution of PVP has a viscosity of 1.8 mPa.times.s), whereas the viscosity of natural synovia depends on the hyaluronic acid contained in it and can vary within a wide range from 5.7 to several hundreds of mPa.times.s. The viscosity of the natural synovia does not depend on the shearing rate, whereas the PVP-based medicine is characterized by a relatively constant relationship between the viscosity and the shearing rate. Depending on the load, synovia is also capable of changing the viscosity due to the fact that low-molecular components are squeezed out of it and penetrate the cartilaginous tissue. Absence of the viscosity-variation effect under the action of load of the PVP-based medicines brings about their rapid removal from the joint cavity.
2. Low lubrication capability. At friction of cartilages in the presence of PVP-based medicine there is realized a friction coefficient of not less than 0.08, while the joints of a healthy human-being have a friction coefficient of 0.001-0.03, i.e., by an order of magnitude lower.
Still another medication for the medical treatment of arthritis-affected joints comprises a 0.8-4.0% aqueous solution of sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose and mineral salts contained in the blood plasma. This medicine due to the presence of sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose with the properties similar to the hyaluronic acid possesses rheological characteristics typical of natural synovia. However, like other known medicines, it has low lubrication properties.
Thus, the common disadvantage of the known art methods of the medical correction of tribology of arthritis-affected joints and the medicines for their implementation is the absence of components contained in them which are responsible for anti-friction characteristics of synovia.